Coffin



(No model.)

F. C. GOFF.

GOPFIN.

No. 321,433. u Patented July 7, 1885 UNITED STATES PATENT Enron..

FR. NCIS C. GOFF, OF ENGLEW'OOD, ILLINOIS.

COFFIN.

Application filed May 1T, i854. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Finnois C. GOEE, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Englewood, in the county of Cook and State of lilinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Coiins, which is fully set forth in the following specicatiomreference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a coffin with my improvement; Fig. 2, a detail section of the same on the line x x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail section of same on the lined d, Fig. 1, showing head-rest in perspective. Fig. 4 is an enlarged 15, side elevation of the lifter-stop. Fig. 5 is a detail section of head-rest on the line ze, Fig.

3. Fig. 6 isadetailsection showing construction of false bottom, taken on the line y y.

My improvement relates to cofns so arranged that the body, after being placed in the coffin, may be raised and posed as desired for the purpose of showing the4 corpse.

I will now proceed to fully explain my invention, reference being had to the drawings 2 5 herewith, and which form a part of this specication. In order to accomplish this purpose I either use a false bottom, which is placed in a coffin of the common form and pivoted to it at or near its foot, or else I so arrange a coflin of the usual construction that the bottom may be used in the same manner as thefalse bottom. I will first explain the construction of a coiiin with a false bottom. A frame, B', similar in shape to that shown in the drawings, made of light cast-iron or other suitable material, is

attached to a coiiin of the common form. This frame may be made, as shown in the drawings, with iron ribs It and a canvas bottom, P. By the construction of this frame, as shown, the

4o body lies down into the frame, and so there is no appreciable room lost by the use of this false bottom, and the oaslretneed not be of uuusual depth. The foot of this frame is hinged to the bottom of the coffin by suitable hinges, or the fra-me may be pivoted to the sides, near the foot. Then the body is in the coffin it may be raised to any desired incline by lifting the false bottom by means of the handles F. The struts I, which are pivoted to the 5o frame B by the pivots @,will gradually incline toward a vertical position. Vhen the body is inclined as desired, the handles are turned so as to bring the stops H in such positionas to engage the struts and the frame. The stops are rigidly affixed to the lifter-handles and turn with them. One side of the stop is made with a lip, which is turned down and enga-ges the teeth of the rack B when the stop is 1n position to engage the strut and the frame. The shank of the lifter-handle is made somewhat longer than the thickness of the casting, and is furnished with a nut, p, at the lower end. This nut is not screwed tight to the frame, but is so adj usted as to give sufficient vert-ical play to the lifter to allow the stop to be raised above the ratchet and moved backward and forward without engaging the teeth when the body is being raised or lowered, but the stop is brought down so as to engage the ratchet-teeth by the spring S when it is desired to hold itin place, and the handles are released. Lugs or pins E are cast on the frame to prevent the struts from passing a vertical position.

Vhen it is desired to lower the body, the handles are lifted sufficiently to disengage the stops from the racks, the stops are then turn back, and the frame being gradually lowered the struts assume their original horizontal position. It' it should be desired to use the bottom of the coffin itself, instead of a falsebottom, the mechanism for raising and lowering would be the same. It would, however,' be necessary to raise the bottom B, Fig. 3, somewhat and allow it to rest on oleats,which would also serve Ato prevent the struts from hanging down when the coffin should be raised from the ground.

In order to more completely pose the bodyI have provided the head-rest or pillow C, which is pivoted to the frame B on theline d. This head-rest is rnade with the countersunlr seat k, in which the back of the head rests and by which the head is kept in position, and it may be raised or lowered and held in position by any suitable device. I use a leg or pawl, m, which is hinged at one end to the head-rest by the hinge 1v, Fig. 5. rIhe other end hangs loose, and when the rest is raised the'rpawl will gradually incline toward a vertical position. There is a rack, q, over which this travels, and in which the loose end will engage, and so hold the head-rest in the position desired. When it is desired to lower the headrest, it is first raised slightly. The pawl is then pushed up against the lower side of the rest and held there while the rest is lowered to its normal position.

Having now fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the coffin-case A, of the false or supplemental bottom B, hinged to the ease A at the foot, and an adjustable support for the upper end ofthe latter,Where by the upper or head portion of the bottom may be adjusted and held at any desired height, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the coffin-oase A, of the false bottom B, composed ofthe frame B',

Vitnesses:

LEONARD WATSON, THOMAS H. PEAsE. 

